1 REP
A badly wounded Jewish Confederate officer returning home days after the end of the Civil War in April 1865 (coinciding with the celebration of Passover) finds his family missing and only two former slaves left in his damaged Richmond, Va., house in Matthew Lopez's award-winning play The Whipping Man, opening Friday and running through Feb. 8 at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre, Sixth and Main streets, Little Rock. A talk by director Gilbert McCauley at 6:15 p.m. precedes today's 7 p.m. preview performance. Curtain time is 7 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday and 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $30 and $40, $20 for students. Call (501) 378-0405 or visit therep.org/attend. See story on Page 5E.
2 'ROUND HERE'
Country star duo Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard -- better known as Florida Georgia Line -- take the stage at Verizon Arena, North Little Rock, with special guests Thomas Rhett and Frankie Ballard on the Anything Goes Tour. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and tickets are $45 and $71.50. Call (800) 745-3000 or visit ticketmaster.com. See story on Page 4E.
3 RECITATIVE
It's a match made in Masonic and musical heaven: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's full-of-Masonic-symbolism opera The Magic Flute and Little Rock's Albert Pike Memorial Temple, 712 Scott St. The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra and Opera in the Rock are collaborating on performances of the fully staged two-act opera, 7 p.m. today and (sold out) Friday. The production, which also features dancers from the Arkansas Festival Ballet, kicks off the orchestra's spring 2015 Intimate Neighborhood Concerts season. Philip Mann conducts. Tickets are $25, $10 for students and active-duty military. Call (501) 666-1761, Extension 100, or visit ArkansasSymphony.org. See story on Page 4E.
4 RUMPELSTILTSKIN
A greedy king, a young maiden and a dwarf with a very long name spin a classic tale in Rumpelstiltskin at the Arkansas Arts Center Children's Theatre. The production of the Grimm Brothers fairy tale begins Friday and continues through Feb. 8, with showtimes at 7 p.m. Fridays, 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets are $12.50, $10 for members, free for children 2 and under. Call (501) 372-4000 or visit arkarts.com.
5 ROOF
Precipice Theatre will stage Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, 7:30 p.m. today-Saturday and Jan. 29-31 and 2 p.m. Jan. 25 and Feb. 1 at The Public Theatre, 616 Center St., Little Rock. Tickets are $14, $10 for students and senior citizens; a portion of the proceeds benefit Wolfe Street Foundation. Call (501) 224-4256 or email lrprecipicetheatre@gmail.com.
6 RUDDERS
Get ready for spring and summer boating season at the Marine Expo, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday-Saturday and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday at the Statehouse Convention Center. In addition to the showcase of boats, there will be exhibits on lakes, destinations and water-related products. Wake boarder Randall "The Vandall" Harris will be at the show Saturday. Admission is $5, free for children 12 and under. Call (501) 225-6177 or (501) 765-1423 or visit dgattractions.com.
7 RHYTHM
"Americana" guitarist Al Petteway will open the new Argenta Arts Acoustic Music Series (a partnership between Little Rock guitarist and series curator Steve Davison and the Argenta Arts Foundation), 7:30 p.m. today at The Joint, 301 Main St., North Little Rock. Tickets are $20; season tickets are available for this and the series' subsequent 10 concerts (see the lineup at argentaartsacousticmusic.com). Call (501) 372-0210. See Music Scene on Page 5E.
8 RAPTORS
Eagles and other majestic, flying creatures will be the focus of DeGray Lake Resort State Park's Eagles Et Cetera weekend, Friday-Sunday. The weekend includes guided tours and hikes, a Birds of Prey show from the Little Rock Zoo and a falconry hunt. Most activities are free but some tours and shows have admission fees or reservation requirements. Call (501) 865-5810 or visit degray.com.
9 REEL
Back in the day, community dances were a key way to unwind and socialize. Now, Historic Washington State Park gives visitors a chance to experience that old-fashioned type of dance at Dancing With the Stars: Washington Style, 7-10 p.m. Saturday. No experience is required. Visitors will learn the steps to dances such as the Viriginia Reel as they spin and twirl across the WPA Gym floor. Period dress is welcome but not required. Cost is $17 per couple, $10 for singles and reservations are requested. Call (870) 983-2684 or visit historicwashingtonstatepark.com.
10 RICKY
Third time is the charm -- and another sell-out -- for Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder, making their third University of Central Arkansas appearance, 7:30 p.m. Saturday in the Donald W. Reynolds Performance Hall at the university, 201 Donaghey Ave., Conway. It's part of the UCA Public Appearances series; sponsor is 501lifemag.com. There's no waiting list per se, but if there are any turned-back tickets, they'll go on sale ($30-$40, $10 for children and students) one hour before "curtain." Call (501) 450-3265 or (866) 810-0012 or visit uca.edu/reynolds.
Weekend on 01/22/2015